Roswell police dept. scores 3D printer for recreating crime scenes

The quickly-growing world of 3D printing technology has found itself utilized in a variety of fields, serving all sorts of purposes in each of them to improve or create things ranging from bio-medicine to construction. One of the latest is the use of 3D printing to re-create crime scenes, a method now available to the Roswell Police Department.

Crime scene analysis isn’t exactly the high-tech fast-paced reality portrayed on popular television shows, and mistakes happen too often. By utilizing a 3D printer to recreate crime scenes, law enforcement and investigators can improve their ability to analyze a scene, display it to juries, and improve their overall results.

The technology includes a camera that allows for a crime scene to be photographed and turned into a 3D replica, which the printer then prints out in full color and near exact detail. According to the Roswell police department, the results are accurate within a couple of millimeters.

The police department reportedly wanted the technology for a while, but was originally hindered by the $86,000 price tag. Now that they have it, the benefits are said to outweigh that initial cost and provide all parties involved — public and law enforcement — with a better overall method of analysis and, ultimately, more accurate end results.